Memorable, crazy movie

As Good As It Gets

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

CARRY ON HENRY is, for me, one of the weakest of the entire Carry On film series. I always find their costume adventures slightly stodgy, but they usually make up for this with a witty script and great humour (the bit with Charles Hawtrey on the guillotine receiving the letter in CARRY ON DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD always springs to mind). Unfortunately, CARRY ON HENRY came at a time when the wit was in short supply and the genuine laughs were outweighed five to one by an incessant array of lowbrow jokes and obvious humour.The inimitable Sid James stars as Henry VIII, dealing with a couple of extra wives thanks to the machinations of Talbot Rothwell. Thus he has to deal with a garlic-munching Joan Sims and an often-naked Barbara Windsor as a young lady-in-waiting who he sets his sights on. James is as fantastic as ever, and there are a couple of fine supporting roles from a nostrilly Kenneth Williams and a constantly gurning Terry Scott, but otherwise the film as a whole feels quite limited.The authenticity is present in the shape of some fantastic costumes and sets, and there are some nice, if minor, performances from an oddly dignified Kenneth Connor and Charles Hawtrey. I'm still not quite sure what Bill Maynard's Guy Fawkes was doing in this period, but there you go. As expected, there's a ton of bawdy humour - the scene with Margaret Nolan in the barn is literally eye-popping - but as a whole the jokes seem to have been recycled from earlier entries (the bit with the water sprays from the body and the "up yours" joke, for instance). Thankfully the Carry Ons would return to form with their next three (contemporary) entries in the franchise, the triple whammy of CARRY ON AT YOUR CONVENIENCE, CARRY ON ABROAD, and CARRY ON MATRON.

Carry On Henry tells of Henry VIII's other two wives, the ones that history forgot to mention: ample, French, garlic-munching Queen Marie (the delightful Joan Sims) and saucy blonde strumpet Queen Bettina (bubbly Barbara Windsor). When Henry (Sid James) finds it impossible to consummate his marriage to the former thanks to her terrible aroma, he seeks a quickie divorce and an even quicker marriage to the latter, but in doing so threatens to upset both the Vatican and the King of France.Historically duplicitous and hysterically on the mark, this lively Tudor romp is hugely entertaining viewing thanks to a silly script that plays fast and loose with the facts (even throwing in fun anachronisms such as a breezy jazz rendition of Greensleeves, Guy Fawkes, and the guillotine), plenty of ribald innuendo, lots of heaving bosoms, and spirited performances from the Carry On regulars, with Sid James, in particular, excelling in the role of Henry, giving arguably the greatest (certainly the most memorable) cinematic portrayal of the formidable monarch.

Carry on Henry is an entertaining enough entry in the comedy franchise, but I don't think it is as good as Carry on Cleo, Carry on Screaming or Carry On Up the Khyber. It is true that Talbot Rothwell's script isn't the sharpest one on the block, though there are some great one liners("it's all cock and no pea") and some priceless scenes, especially the ones with Barbara Windsor. Sid James is suitably merry as the monarch of the title, and Kenneth Williams is hilarious as always. Barbara Windsor looked lovely and also gives a very funny performance. The direction and photography have little fault, perhaps a little leisurely with the former, likewise with the scenery and costumes which were both very nice. However while there is evidence of making the jokes funny, the plot isn't as impressive, it had a tendency to become slow and unfocused. Still it is very enjoyable, so I will give it a 7/10. Bethany Cox

This farce about Henry the VIII is perfect fodder for the Carry On group. This film has the core cast which made the best Carry Ons. It stars the irrepressible Sid James as the king, along with the always fun to watch Kenneth Williams as Cromwell. That duo made the best Carry Ons, they just seemed to always work well together. Add in the always welcome Joan Sims, the always bubbly Barbara Windsor and the also welcome Charles Hawtrey as Sir Roger and you know you're going to enjoy this. There have been better Carry On films, and the film carries the usual sexual innuendos and once in a while too cheap laughs, but with this cast it hardly matters. Seek this out.